Integrated Restoration Institute

IREST INSTITUTE IS AN EDUCATIONAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT COMBINES THE MEDITATIVE PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA WITH WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE, AND LEADING-EDGE RESEARCH.

IREST INSTITUTE IS AN EDUCATIONAL NON-PROFIT 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION THAT COMBINES THE MEDITATIVE PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA WITH WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE, AND LEADING-EDGE RESEARCH. THE 10 STEPS OF IREST ARE DESIGNED TO TEACH ANYONE HOW TO ACCESS AND LIVE FROM A FOUNDATIONAL SOURCE OF WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE. GLOBALLYSINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 2006, IREST INSTITUTE HAS BEEN RESPONDING TO THE GLOBAL NEED FOR EFFECTIVE WAYS TO COPE WITH DAILY STRESS, RESOLVE TRAUMA, DECREASE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, RELIEVE CHRONIC PAIN, IMPROVE SLEEP, CULTIVATE WELL-BEING, AND AWAKEN TO YOUR TRUE NATURE BY OFFERING IN-PERSON AND ONLINE IREST TEACHER TRAININGS, RETREATS, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. AS THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC PERSISTED THROUGH 2021, IREST INSTITUTE CONTINUED TO SERVE ITS MISSION BY ADJUSTING THE DELIVERY OF ITS PROGRAMS THROUGH IN-PERSON EVENTS, ONLINE EVENTS AND HYBRID EVENTS CONTAINING BOTH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE PRESENTATIONS DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTY WORLDWIDE, THE IREST INSTITUTE WELCOMED 291 NEW PARTICIPANTS TO THE LEVEL 1 IREST TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM AND PROVIDED MORE ADVANCED LEVEL 2 TRAINING TO 85 EXISTING TEACHERS. DURING 2021 42 TEACHERS COMPLETED THE IREST CERTIFICATION TRAINING. OVERALL, NEARLY 418 PEOPLE WERE STILL ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IREST TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT 2021. THIS MEANS THAT DESPITE THE CONTINUING PANDEMIC, EVEN MORE INDIVIDUALS WERE EQUIPPED WITH THE TOOLS AND TRAINING TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, AND SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING THOSE NEEDING THE SUPPORT OF THE TEACHINGS IN HEALTH CENTERS, VA HOSPITALS, CANCER COMMUNITIES, HOMELESS SHELTERS, SAFE-HOUSES FOR WOMEN, MILITARY BASES, YOGA STUDIOS, CORPORATE WELLNESS PROGRAMS, CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES, AND MORE.IREST ONLINE EVENTSWITH IREST NOW ESTABLISHED AS A TRUSTWORTHY AND RELIABLE MODALITY FOR WELL-BEING, DEMAND FOR TRAINING AND EVENTS REMAINED STRONG THROUGHOUT 2021. TO CONTINUE TO MEET THE GLOBAL DEMAND FOR ACCESSIBLE IREST PROGRAMS THE IREST INSTITUTE INNOVATED IN ITS DELIVERY PROCESSES SO THAT TRAINING THAT COULD HELP MITIGATE THE RESULTING STRESS, ADVANCE PERSONAL WELLNESS GOALS, AND DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL SKILLS ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS INDUSTRY CONTINUED TO BE AVAILABLE. DURING 2021, IREST INSTITUTE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ITS PROGRAMS TO MEET THESE NEEDS WHILE RECOGNIZING THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES BEING EXPERIENCE BY SO MANY BY PROVIDING FULL AND PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS WHERE REQUIRED. AS A CONTINUING RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, IREST INSTITUTE:CONTINUED TO OFFER THE SANGHA SERIES: WITH A TOTAL OF 21 SESSIONS OF GUIDED MEDITATIONS AND Q&A. TOTAL LIVE ATTENDANCE TO THESE SESSIONS EXCEEDED 800, WHILE THE FREE PUBLIC RECORDINGS WERE LISTENED TO OVER 8,000 TIMES BY 3,300 UNIQUE LISTENERS.AS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, IREST INSTITUTE OFFERED 52 FREE WEEKLY MONDAY MEDITATIONS TO ITS ENTIRE EMAIL DATABASE OF OVER 14,000 PEOPLE ON VARIOUS TOPICS AND THEMES, THESE MONDAY MEDITATIONS WERE ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIMEO FOR THE GREATER PUBLIC TO EXPERIENCE AND SHARE. THESE MEDITATIONS WERE ACCESSED OVER 73,000 TIMES BY OVER 18,000 UNIQUE VIEWERS FROM 118 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.IREST AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF $74,112 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO 112 PEOPLE. 15 OF THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS WERE OFFERED TO ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS, AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND/OR TEACHERS WHO TEACH VETERANS OR SERVICE MEMBERS AND 16 WERE AWARDED TO PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFIED AS BIPOC.IN 2021, IREST STUDENTS AND TEACHERS VOLUNTEERED A TOTAL OF 1750 HOURS WHICH REPRESENTS AN ESTIMATED $52,413 VALUE TO IREST.IREST HAD 152,106 UNIQUE VIEWERS TO ITS WEBSITE IN 2021, REPRESENTING A 6.3% INCREASE COMPARED TO 2020.PROVEN BY RESEARCHSINCE ITS INCEPTION, IREST HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF RESEARCH STUDIES SHOWING ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN ADDRESSING SOME OF LIFES GREATEST CHALLENGES (PTSD, ADDICTION, CHRONIC PAIN, SLEEP PROBLEMS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER STRESS-RELATED MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS) EXPERIENCED BY SOME OF THE MOST STRESS-RIDDEN GROUPS (HEALTH-CARE WORKERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, TRAUMA SURVIVORS, THE HOMELESS, AND MORE). TO DATE, THERE HAVE BEEN 13 PEER-REVIEWED PUBLISHED RESEARCH ARTICLES, 22 RESEARCH STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BUT NOT PUBLISHED AND 1 RESEARCH STUDY THAT IS IN PROGRESS. AS AN EVIDENCE-INFORMED MEDITATION PROTOCOL, IREST IS BEING USED AT US VETERANS AFFAIRS HOSPITALS, MILITARY BASES, HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, HOSPICES, HOMELESS SHELTERS, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND SCHOOLS. BASED ON CURRENT STUDIES WITH IREST IN THE MILITARY, THE DEFENSE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE HAS APPROVED IREST AS A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE WARRANTING CONTINUING RESEARCH FOR ITS USE IN THE TREATMENT OF PTSD. IN ADDITION, THE U.S. ARMY SURGEON GENERAL HAS LISTED YOGA NIDRA (BASED ON RESEARCH WITH IREST) AS A TIER 1 APPROACH FOR ADDRESSING PAIN MANAGEMENT IN MILITARY CARE.DONOR INVESTMENT IS THE NEEDED SPRINGBOARD IREST INSTITUTE HAS BEEN FINANCED ALMOST ENTIRELY THROUGH EARNED INCOME FROM TRAININGS, RETREATS AND OTHER OFFERINGS. HOWEVER, AN INFLUX OF SIGNIFICANT DONOR INVESTMENT CONTINUES TO BE NEEDED TO LAUNCH IREST INSTITUTE TO THIS NEXT LEVEL OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. IN 2021, IREST INSTITUTE LAUNCHED SEVERAL COMMUNITY APPEALS AND A MAJOR GIFTS PROGRAM.